


Family Comfort

by XIIINights



Series: Comfort [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Family, Childhood Memories, Family, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Feels, Gen, Memories, Uchiha Family Bonding, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Uchiha family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-04-19 01:40:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4727993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XIIINights/pseuds/XIIINights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Itachi and Sasuke get into a fight, it's up to their parents to fix it. But instead of telling them they're wrong, Mikoto and Fugaku tell the siblings a bit about their past. Uchiha Family Bonding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Conflict

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first FanFic ever. English is not my first language, so please be nice!

** Chapter 1: A Conflict **

Itachi walked down the empty corridor. His father was on a mission, his mother . . . actually the 13 year old had no idea where his mother was. Itachi hadn't been paying attention when Mikoto told him were she was going, all he knew was that he had to take care of Sasuke. But the youngest Uchiha had been too quiet for an 8 year old, so Itachi decided to check on him.

When Itachi went to Sasuke's room, he noticed that Sasuke had a bag packed. Itachi sighed, "You're going to Naruto's house, _again_?" Upon hearing his older brother, Sasuke jumped. "Aniki, how many times have I told you to knock?" Itachi pretended to think. "Not sure, I stopped caring after the third time. And you haven't answered my question."

"Yea, I'm going to Naruto's house. You know he's sick. Sakura and I have been helping him." Sasuke closed his backpack and shouldered it. "That's the problem. The Uzumaki isn't going to die from the flu. Besides that's the thing I hate about you, Sasuke."

"What? The fact that I actually help my friends? It never bothered you before you got 2 weeks free from your ANBU business. I never saw you." Sasuke said, looking upset.

Itachi frowned. "We saw each other. I was home almost every night."

"With your face in a scroll. Don't start nagging me about the fact that you don't see me a lot now, when I used to ask you to spend some time with me."

"You know I had a ton of work. Father would have noticed if I didn't do my work and he's like a dog with a bone. I had to do my best as an ANBU. You should understand that. Didn't father help you when he could?"

"You know he did, but I didn't want to sacrifice you and me."

"Are you saying I did?"

They had squared off and were standing in the middle of Sasuke's room, facing each other.

"I'm just asking for a little more time with my little brother. I get the stuff about the academy and training, even though it never used to string you out like this. But why don't we ever have any time with each other? Even if it's just to talk?"

"You know I tutor Naruto," Sasuke said. "He's having a hard time keeping up with us."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "He's not your problem. Besides Haruno can tutor him fine on her own."

"I know, but if he's going to keep up with our class, he needs more help then just from Sakura."

Itachi looked exasperated. "Why are you putting this on yourself, Otouto? You're not responsible for whether or not he keeps up with your class."

"I want to walk with my friends. We started the academy together. I want us to keep up with each other and graduate from the academy together. What's so hard to understand about that?" He was becoming impatient with Itachi.

"Don't turn me into some insensitive clod just because I want to spend time with you, now that I don't have to work for a while."

"And don't you turn me into an uncaring pain just because I have more on my mind then you."

"Well, gee, Otouto, forgive me for being so thoughtless and narrow-minded. Don't you think I get it? I know how important your friends are to you. But what about now?"

Sasuke pulled his backpack off and tossed it on his bed. "Take a number and get in line, Itachi! Where were _we_ in the picture back then?"

"Don't make me choose, Sasuke."

Sasuke grabbed his bag and re-shouldered it. "You already have," he said.

Totally stunned by Sasuke's vehemence, Itachi watched him go, heard him bound down the stairs and heard the front door shut hard behind him. After the heat of the fight, the air grew quiet until all Itachi could hear was his own breathing. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even feel. He was numb all over. He left Sasuke's room without a thought, easing the door shut behind him.


	2. A Mother's Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi and Mikoto talk.

**Chapter 2: A Mother's Comfort**

"Why are you sitting alone in the dark?" Mikoto asked, coming into the living, just getting home. Itachi was curled into a fetal position on the sofa, and he didn't answer. His mother set a bag of groceries on the coffee table. "Musuko, what is it? Where's-"

"At Naruto's." Itachi answered, already knowing what his mother was about to ask.

Mikoto leaned over, turned on a lamp, then sat on the edge of the sofa. She stroked Itachi's shoulder, but Itachi recoiled. "Don't touch me."

Mikoto pressed her thumb and forefinger against her eyes, rocking back and forth, knowing that both of her sons had gotten into another one of their fights. Mikoto eased off the sofa. "Can I show you something?" She went to the bookcase, pulled out a book and returned. "Do you know what this is?" No answer.

"It's your and Sasuke's baby book. I want to tell you some things, and I want you to listen, not just with your ears, but with your heart."

Itachi moved over, but he was careful not to let his mother touch him. He was angry and he was hurt, and he didn't feel like pretending otherwise. He wasn't going to be patient and understanding. Not this time. Still, his gaze was drawn to the oversized book his mother held. It was bound between covers of padded moiré satin in a soft shade of blue. The title, _It's A Boy!_ was printed in red in a fancy typeface that looked like ribbon unfurling, with the Uchiha symbol below it.

"I did a good job of keeping this up," Mikoto said. "Until Sasuke was about three. Then . . . well, you kept me pretty busy and I put it aside. I found it again just last week, and I spent hours going over every page."

She opened the book, and Itachi saw two hospital bracelets: both blue bearing the word MALE. On the facing page, he read his own and Sasuke's names, birth weights and vital statistics written in their mother's neat handwriting. He refused to speak.

"To be honest I wasn't expecting my second pregnancy to a boy again," Mikoto said. "I wanted Sasuke out, so you could get to know your baby brother, but once he got out, your father and I thought we'd lose our minds." Mikoto gave a little laugh. "We had his room all fixed up with everything -a crib, a dresser, a diaper pail- the list goes on. But every time we put Sasuke in his room and you went to yours for the night, he'd scream his head off. He was inconsolable and could cry for hours. Your father and I took turns sleeping and walking the floors with him, trying to make him happy. Then one night, in desperation, remember, you put Sasuke in bed with you, and he stopped crying.

"Your father and I slept that night like we hadn't slept in weeks. When we got up the next morning, the two of you were asleep and your arms were around Sasuke. I think that's all Sasuke ever wanted, just to be with you. You shared your bed with him until he was three months old. Then we put his crib side by side with your bed, so that you could see each other last thing at night and first thing when you woke up in the morning."

Itachi didn't need his mother to tell him how close he and Sasuke had been as children. He had memories of his own. He was sure that Sasuke did too, just not ones that went that far back.

Mikoto flipped through the pages of the baby book filled with Itachi and Sasuke's shared history. "You always had the magic touch with him, Itachi. You seemed to know what he wanted when he cried. When he was a toddler and he'd cry, you'd get up, go over to the toy box and bring him just the thing that would make him stop crying. If _I_ tried to guess what he wanted, he'd throw whatever I gave him on the floor and yell louder."

"But then I had to go to the academy." Itachi finally broke his silence.

"Yes. And you all but lived in the backyard training, while Sasuke fended for himself."

"I missed you." Feelings of loss bubbled up within him. He remembered the ache as clearly as if it had all happened yesterday.

"I know. So did we." Mikoto lifted an age-yellowed envelope from between the pages of the baby book. She opened it and removed two thick clusters of black hair, both tied with blue ribbon. "These are from your first haircuts. Touch them. Feel how soft."

Mesmerized, Itachi took the hair clippings and cradled them in his palm. They were as soft as down, and in the lamp's light, they shone. "I'll talk to Sasuke, since I'm sure he doesn't remember much, and Itachi, try to understand." Mikoto turned to her son as she spoke those words. All Itachi did was nod, with one thought of his own. How he would ever live without his mother.


	3. A Friend's Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Naruto talk.

**Chapter 3: A Friend's Advice**

_"Take a number and get in line, Itachi! Where were **we** in the picture back then?"_

_"Don't make me choose, Sasuke."_

_"You already have."_

After Sasuke had left, he began to wonder whether he had been too hard on his older brother. Itachi wasn't always going to be there, that was sure. Sasuke already knew he would have to go back to work pretty soon.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was what dragged him out of his thoughts.

"What? Didn't understand something?" It amazed Sasuke that he had been actually able to help Sakura tutor Naruto.

"No, I'm good. Did you and Itachi get into another fight?"

"Sorry, if I wasn't much help."

"I don't care about that. What I want to know is if you fought again."

"We had a fight because he doesn't think I'm spending enough time with him." He sat on the edge of Naruto's bed, his back turned to the Uzumaki. "I told him to take a number and get in line."

Naruto frowned, "Don't do that to him, Sasuke. I think he already feels bad enough without you kicking him while he's down."

"What's the use? We're each going to live different lives anyways. Why put off the inevitable?"

Naruto threw a book at the Uchiha, which hit him in the back of the head.

"Look, you should put off the inevitable as long as you can, even if I have no idea what inevitable means. Like you said, you and Itachi are each going to go your own ways, so spend as much time with him now while you still can. Cause if you don't, you'll regret it later in life."

Sasuke didn't say anything. Naruto was right. From what he heard come out of Itachi's mouth, he could tell his brother felt bad, and Sasuke had only made it worse.

"Don't leave him to wonder about whether or not you hate him. You need him."

Sasuke look at the blond. He didn't want Itachi to think he hated him. Sasuke didn't want to be left alone, cause he couldn't fake that he hated Itachi. Just thinking about it almost made his heart break.

The only thing Naruto got in return was, "You're right." And that came as a bit shock.

"Did that book to the back of the head smack a different personality into you?"

Sasuke laughed as he got up. "Don't know. See you tomorrow, Naruto!"

"See you!" Naruto yelled, rather than replied as the Uchiha shut the door behind him.


	4. A Father's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Fugaku talk.

**Chapter 4: A Father's Story**

' _I can do better! I know I can!'_ So far that small chant was doing nothing for the young Uchiha. Since he had left Naruto's house, he had been trying to think of a way to apologize to his older brother. But so far, no luck.

"Sasuke?"

The Uchiha turned to face the source of the voice. It turned out to be his father.

"Shouldn't you be home?"

Sasuke shrugged. He wasn't in the mood to really say anything, and hoped that his father wouldn't pry, and just leave him be.

"Something wrong?" So much for not prying.

Sasuke answered him and tried to make his voice sound convincing. "I'm fine."

Fugaku sighed. Sasuke had never been a great liar. And in cases like these, that wasn't a bad thing. But he decided not to push his son. He knew Sasuke well enough to know that the boy would tell him when he was ready.

* * *

 

Sasuke sat on his bed, thinking. _'I could just ask father or mother about it.'_ Sasuke got up, and without knowing where he was going, walked out of his room.

Fugaku looked up when he heard someone coming down the stairs. It was late, so he hadn't been expecting someone to be up.

"Sasuke? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Sasuke looked around, noticing that he had wondered into the living room.

"I can't sleep." Was his response. Fugaku sighed. "Come here."

Not questioning his father, Sasuke walked over, sitting on the sofa next to his father, before curling up into a fetal position. "Did something happened with Itachi?"

The young Uchiha nodded, not looking his father in the eyes. Like his wife, Fugaku had failed to overlook the fights that had broken out among his sons. Without knowing that his wife had done the same with Itachi, Fugaku walked to the bookcase, taking out the same book Mikoto had shown Itachi. But instead of showing Sasuke the whole book, like Mikoto had done with Itachi, Fugaku flipped to one certain page, before handing the book to Sasuke, who had sat up.

"Do you know the two kids in the picture?" Fugaku questioned, watching his youngest son. When Sasuke failed to reply, Fugaku continued. "It's you and you're brother. Itachi was five; you were only a couple of weeks old."

Sasuke stared at the picture. It showed a five year old Itachi hugging a baby Sasuke in his sleep. Sasuke knew that he and Itachi had once been very close, but his memories were limited.

"You never could sleep on your own. You always cried for hours, your mother and I had to take turns sleeping just to try and calm you down. It was Itachi who made you stop crying. He had placed you in bed with him, so your mother and I managed to catch up on our sleep that night. The next morning," Fugaku tapped the picture in the book, "We found Itachi hugging you while both of you slept. Your brother shared his bed with you until you turned three months. Then we placed your crib side by side with his bed, so the last thing you always saw was your older brother before you went to sleep, and first thing when you woke up."

Sasuke flipped through the book, looking at the pictures that held the siblings' history. After a while, Sasuke closed the book, handing it back to his father, smiling. "Thanks, Dad. I think that's exactly what I needed." Fugaku patted Sasuke's head, before sending him off to bed.

' _Now all I need to apologize to Aniki.'_


	5. Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending wasn't the best, but it was all that I could come up with.

**Chapter 5: Apology**

_BANG!_

"… Ow.. ' _I knew I was going to regret waking him up.'_

Sasuke turned around, rubbing his hand. ' _Great. Something else I need to apologize for.'_

"Mother wants you downstairs." Itachi said, turning to face his brother after having reached the door. Sasuke watched as his brother started to open the door. "Wait!" _'It's now or never.'_

"Hm?" Itachi watched as Sasuke appeared to grapple with thoughts too unwieldy for expression before mumbling, "I'm sorry."

Itachi looked curiously at his brother. They had had virtually no contact with their fight, even at dinner the night before. "What?" Sasuke glared, but said it anyways.

"I'm sorry. I was mad when I said those things, but that's not an excuse. I don't know what made me say those things, or even if I meant to, I just did. And if I made you feel like I hated you, I'm sorry for that too."

Itachi blinked. Where Sasuke got that idea, Itachi didn't know, but Sasuke wasn't that far off the mark. Hated, no. Angry, yes. He sighed, and walked over to sit next to his little brother, but not before pointing him in the forehead. Ignoring the mumbled "ouch", the elder Uchiha said what was on his mind.

"No, Sasuke, you didn't make me feel like you hated me. I just felt like you were angry with me, and if you are, I don't blame you. I admit I was acting like a selfish git, trying to keep you from your friends."

Sasuke nodded. He knew that in his own way, Itachi was apologizing. "Itachi? I'm sorry for hitting you." Itachi shrugged, "I let my guard down."

"Darn you and your snappy comebacks. . . . ."

* * *

 

"So, are you two done fighting?"

"Maybe."

Fugaku shook his head, as Mikoto laughed. They didn't doubt that there will be more fights later on.

"Dad? Can Itachi and I share a room like we used to?" Sasuke asked innocently.

"No," said Fugaku, half firmly, half amused, "you and Itachi will share a room only when I want the house demolished. Shouldn't you be at Naruto's house?"

Sasuke shrugged. "He can live without me."

Itachi turned to look at him, "Go, or I'll kick you out the door."

"And with that I'm gone. But only if you walk with me." Sasuke said

"Only if you keep quiet." Itachi knew that Sasuke would understand. To be quiet about the whole accident in the morning.

"Itachi, Sasuke's eight years old. I don't think he understands blackmail." Mikoto said, knowing it was blackmail, but not for what.

"Okay." The answer was directed towards Itachi as Sasuke walked up the stairs. The elder turned to his parents. "You sure he don't understand blackmail?"

* * *

 

"So you and Itachi made up?" Sasuke had seemed more focused than he had the other day. The Uchiha nodded. "Thanks to you and my dad."

Naruto beamed. "Good. Now can you help with this thing about how to throw kunai and shuriken, because Sakura only managed to confuse me."

Sasuke laughed. "Okay."


End file.
